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Windows Update error c80003fa

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danlarocque

Technical User
Aug 2, 2006
21
CA
thread1726-1680043

Hi All, after a few years , i am back here to find a fix to the same old problem that effect my PC, Windows update not working at all. I have never been able to use that PC for that reason so, I have decided to take another chance and maybe someone can help me resolve that issue. For more info on the problem , see the thread number at the start of my post. I still have the same PC, it's a brand new/fresh install of WIndows 7 ULTIMATE 64 bits and all the solutions brought me to a dead end.
Any of the fix tools suggested by Microsoft did not work, i've even tryed to update IE8 to IE11, still having that damned error: C80003fa.

Any ideas what could be wrong with that PC?. Thanks in advance for your comments.

Daniel
 
I'm curious about your "fresh" install. Did you use the system DVD that came with the Acer desktop, or do you own a retail copy of Win7 Ultimate? Make sure you're 100% positive that it's a genuine copy of Windows by looking for the "genuine" logo under System Properties -> Windows activation (even when you think it is, there's always the possibility it isn't).

Also, I didn't see anyone recommend that you try running MemTest86. I've seen at least one thread where faulty RAM was the issue.


-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

[tab][navy]For this site's posting policies, click [/navy]here.
 
Hi strongm, Unfortunately this Acer PC does not have another PCI expansion slot to put a lan card. The only network card is part of the mainbord. No luck .
You can fin the specs here: Link

Thanks
 
Have you tried using a different network card?

Try a wireless USB network adapter
OR
Try a WIRED USB network adapter Link

I have no gut feeling as to whether this idea would fix the problem, but it's definitely a good suggestion. BUT............ do you want to spend money on it to test this theory. Can you borrow one? This is the type of problem where you NEED to try something different rather than banging your head against it.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.
 
Hi cdogg!

This PC came with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition. The PC first belonged to my uncle. He gave it to me when the hard drive crashed. I have put a new drive in it. I then re install a new vesion of WIndows 7 64, but the ULTIMATE version, that is fully legit as i have bought it. Scince then i was unable to do any updates. Other than this , the PC runs very well. Could it be that it needs the original WIndows Home Edition ??. I don't have the recovery discs because it was store on a partition of the original drive.
I have contacted ACER but there were not able to send me the original discs because this PC model is old. Regarding the MEMTEST86, i have seen that suggestion and ran it. No succes, it found no errors. The other thing i did yesterday, as per a post suggesting to run sfc /scannow. To my suprise it found a lot of errors with the mention it was not able to repair them. I have look at the CBS log, but as you can tell it is very difficult to understand and pin point the exact problem. This is where am I at this moment. what else can i do now ?

Thanks for your input! :)
 
Hi goombawaho,

I maybe able to get one. I will try it tonight and let you know.
Much appreciated !
 
Could it be that it needs the original WIndows Home Edition ??
No

To my suprise if found a lot of errors with the mention it was not able to repair them
Was that with the installation disc in the drive?

Have you downloaded the drivers for the machine from Acer's support site rather than just using the generic M$ ones?

Are there any "Exclamation marks" on any components in device manager?

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum
 
Hi Chris,

All the drivers were downloaded from the ACER support site. Nothing is wrong in the device manager. Thanks for asking, i should have mentionned it in my first post.
Regards
 
Was that with the installation disc in the drive?


I don't recall if i left the installation disk in the drive. Is it possible that all the errors were du to the fact that i left it in the drive ?
Daniel
 
I maybe able to get one. I will try it tonight and let you know.
Much appreciated !

not MY suggestion originally. I just fleshed it out a bit more. Stongm deserves the credit if it works.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.
 
Is it possible that all the errors were du to the fact that i left it in the drive

I've seen Windows Update do all manner of strange things for some even stranger reasons. I have a Windows 7 machine with 64 and 32 bit VMs on it and there are times that one container will update OK while the other glitches out. I put it down to "there's a computer involved" and then the following day both will be fine.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum
 
Two things:

1) Is this still the clean install you were working with back in 2012, or did you just reinstall Windows 7 shortly before starting this thread?

2) This link might help: [tab]You've tried several of the suggestions there already, but there are at least 5 or 6 more that you probably haven't tried yet (starting at Method 5). See if any of those help.
 
Hi cdogg,

This is a clean install as of last week. I will try if any of the suggestions works, il will keep you posted.
Tks for your help !
 
Hi,
After spending some times applying all the Microsoft suggestions, it turned out to be a big fail. I was not able to run any fix, i ended with error codes like cc80003fa or 8000fff. I tryed to install a usb wifi adapter, to see if the onboard network card was faulty, for some reason i was not able to install the Linksys/Cisco drivers as W7 did not like the fact that it cannot verify the digital signature for the drivers required for this device... Oh well... Conclusion: I think that this PC is cursed in some way and it no longer worth time and effort to find a solution. Any toughts from you before i resigned? [banghead]
 
Back on the Windows Update screen, uncheck all updates, then scroll to the middle and select only one at random. Does it download and install? Just wondering if it's a particular update causing the issue or if the same error occurs on all of them.
 
Hi cdogg,
The problem is that the Windows Update application does not work. It cannot show any update available. It craches when it asked to download the UPDATE of the Windows Update application. At this time there are no updates installed.
 
Here's a real different kind of idea. Try WSUS Offline Update. You download all the updates for a particular product (like Win 7) from Microsoft using this third party (free) tool and then use the tool again and it will regurgitate them onto your computer. Like force-feeding.

You don't need the internet on the computer that you wish to install the updates on. You must have working internet on a computer to get the app and all the MS downloads.

Link

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.
 
Even if the offline update option works, I'd be leery about using a PC where SFC /SCANNOW has detected corrupt system files.

Daniel,
One last suggestion before I call it quits...

Try repairing WMI followed by another pass with SFC /SCANNOW:

[tab]1. At an elevated cmd prompt, run the following commands:

[tab][tab][tt]net stop winmgmt /y[/tt]
[tab][tab][tt]winmgmt /verifyrepository[/tt]

[tab]2. That should tell you that the repository is either CONSISTENT or INCONSISTENT.

[tab][tab]If it's CONSISTENT, type this and then reboot (skip the rest of the WMI repair steps):

[tab][tab][tab][tt]regsvr32 wmisvc.dll[/tt]
[tab][tab][tab][tt]winmgmt /resyncperf[/tt]

[tab][tab]If it's INCONSISTENT, type this.

[tab][tab][tab][tt]winmgmt /salvagerepository[/tt]

[tab]3. If [tt]"/salvagerepository"[/tt] is successful, you’re done and should reboot. If it fails to repair the repository, here's one last command you can run (reboot afterwards):

[tab][tab][tt]winmgmt /resetrepository[/tt]

Run SFC /SCANNOW again and see if it's able to repair corrupt files. If it still fails, follow the directions here to format the CBS.log into a format you can understand (look under the "For more information" section. It also explains how to manually replace a system file.
 
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